Kids

Executive Web Producer Christine Zanchi knows a thing or two about creating online content that is both educational and fun. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former teacher, Christine creates innovative web sites and interactive experiences that reach millions of kids every month. She is also the mother of toddler twins! As a parent and a consumer as well as a media producer, Christine offers her thoughts on media’s significant role in helping kids learn, especially during these critical summer months.

Can interactive media such as games, websites and apps really help children learn?
Absolutely! Kids learn by playing games and using websites or apps that have rich, high-quality, educational content. A report by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center presents the results of three new studies that explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using apps to promote learning among preschool- and early-elementary-aged children. Martha Speaks’ own research results that show that kids 3-to-7 years old who played with the Martha SpeaksDog Party app tested up to 31 percent higher in vocabulary.

The Martha Speaks website has one of the highest average time-on-site of all PBS KIDS sites. This means that kids find the site very appealing and they stay on and play longer. The more they’re on the site, the more they learn.

Mommy blogger Barbara Jo recently shared an amazing Peep and the Big Wide World inspired cake on her blog, DoItYourself.org. Working with her 5 year old son Nathan, Barbara Jo created a scene from the preschool science program that includes Peep and Chirp’s tin can, Quack’s pond, and all three characters.